I, like the majority of individuals around this time of year, like to make resolutions for the upcoming twelve months. Acting as a beacon of hope for the successful new year, it allows us to critically and introspectively look into ourselves and think, What am I capable of? What aspects of myself need to be improved, sustained, or changed? In my personal experience, I like to hold myself accountable, as I write my resolutions down in a journal. The purpose of this is to remind myself of what it is that I need to do to not only improve my own personal quality of life, but also enrich my very self.
This can be done in a variety of ways; in my case, better dieting, more reading, and a more open mind to new experiences. So far, only two weeks into the new year, things seem to be kicking off on a strong foot. This is, hopefully, something I can maintain throughout this year, as I expect 2017 to be just as formative and successful as 2016 was. Of course, this is all said with a large amount of speculation – who really knows what the coming year will bring?
In relation to all of this, I came across an incredible quote by Michelle Obama (long live the queen) around a week ago and was so inspired by it that I have pledged to constantly remind myself of it. It was a cosmopolitan.com article, talking about how wonderful the relationship is between President Obama and his wife (#goals). The main message behind the quotes from both parties were along the lines of not allowing oneself to get so caught up in another person that they lose themselves. The very part about their marriage that makes it so successful and envious is that they are not only their own separate people, but that they treat themselves equally as such. This, to me, is the ultimate goal all people should strive for, regardless of relationship status.
Apart from this, Michelle had been quoted as saying, “If I had worried about who liked me and who thought I was cute as a teen, I wouldn’t be married to the President of the United States.” This singular sentence hit me like a truth bullet – a revelation had occurred. I say this because many women, especially around the college age, can get really preoccupied with this, almost to the point of it being distracting from more important life matters and allowing it to overtake them. This, in essence, makes women think and act at the disposal of the individual they are interested in. Of course, I am in no way immune to this pattern of thinking, but I have now come to realize that the path to success sometimes means breaking those kinds of societal constructs and learning to think beyond them.
Although I am incredibly sad to see Mr. and Mrs. Obama leave the White House, I feel like I will almost have a piece of her embedded into this quote – words of wisdom that I am going to carry with me through the most growth-inducing years of my life. Beginning to study for the LSAT and apply to law school is no easy feat by any stretch, but by reminding myself to stay focused while maintaining my identity as an individual AND as a woman, I have never felt more confident in my abilities and what I will be able to accomplish.
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